Friday, January 25, 2013

Woody Ernhart, where are you?

When I look at old Lorain Journals from the 1950s and 60s, I'm constantly amazed at how many nightclubs and lounges there were in town offering live entertainment. It seems like almost any night you could go somewhere to dance to a combo, sit and listen to the song stylings of a singer, or enjoy a novelty act.

It made Lorain seem like a mini-Las Vegas.

A good case in point is the ad (at right) for Ben Hart's Show Bar at 651 Broadway that ran in the Journal on January 19, 1963 – fifty years ago. The bar offered up a whole lot of entertainment with no minimum and no cover charge. (Click on the ad for a larger version.)

There's The Infernos – direct from the Rubba Club in Columbus; Marlene West, vocalist – direct from Detroit; The Esta Trio, consisting of Esther Chazor on the piano, Billy Molas on the drums and Jack on bass.

But most importantly, there's Woody Ernhart, MC and comedian. I love the photo of him; he has an intense look on his face as he's dropping something into a cup – maybe a very small egg.

I'd love to know if Woody ever hit the big time.

But I've looked all over the internet to try and find out something about Woody and the rest of these acts with no success. Does anybody out there know anything about any of them? If so, please leave a comment or send me an email!